Chapter 4 : Basketball court

I was having a perfectly normal morning.

Which should have been my first warning.

I was sitting between Chloe and Elvan, trying to finish some notes before class started.

For once, everyone was quiet.

Then Gawin arrived.

And sat directly behind me.

My second warning.

For a few minutes, nothing happened.

Then I felt someone lightly poke my shoulder from behind.

I didn't even turn around.

"No."

"I haven't said anything."

"You don't need to."

Behind me, I heard Gawin laugh.

Beside me, Chloe looked confused.

"What happened?"

"Nancy is being rude."

"I'm protecting my peace."

"From what?"

"From you."

"That's fair."

I heard him lean back dramatically.

Then—

"You know, babies usually get ice cream when they're sad."

I froze.

Slowly.

Very slowly.

I turned around.

"What did you just call me?"

"A baby."

Chloe immediately looked interested.

"Oh?"

"No."

"Oh yes."

I pointed at him.

"One more word."

"You should've just asked for ice cream."

"I DIDN'T ASK."

"You needed it though."

Behind me, Gawin sounded far too proud of himself.

Chloe was already laughing.

Meanwhile, beside me—

silence.

Complete silence.

Elvan hadn't said a single word.

Which should've been comforting.

Instead, it somehow felt worse.

Gawin wasn't done.

"And don't even get me started on the makeup."

I gasped.

"Nancy," Chloe said immediately.

"What happened to your makeup?"

"Nothing happened."

"Everything happened," Gawin corrected.

"He gave me a napkin!"

"Because you needed one."

"I looked fine."

"You looked like you lost a battle."

Chloe burst out laughing.

I grabbed my water bottle.

"Stop."

"No."

"GAWIN."

Then Chloe suddenly asked,

"Wait... Nancy, you went home with Gawin yesterday?"

The classroom became quiet.

Not completely.

Just enough.

Just enough for me to become aware of the person sitting beside me.

Gawin immediately answered.

"Yep."

The confidence in his voice made me want to throw something.

"It wasn't a big deal."

"It was to me."

"Oh, shut up."

Behind me, Gawin laughed.

Beside me, Elvan finally moved.

Only slightly.

But enough.

Enough for me to notice.

Enough for Gawin to notice too.

And unfortunately—

that seemed to encourage him.

"If she ever needs emergency ice cream again—"

I picked up my water bottle.

"Don't."

"—I'll be available."

I turned around instantly.

"GAWIN!"

And flicked water toward him.

Just a little.

Just enough to annoy him.

At least that was the plan.

Instead—

The water completely missed Gawin.

And splashed directly onto Elvan.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

My soul left my body.

Chloe stared.

Gawin stared.

I stared.

A drop of water slowly slid down Elvan's face.

"Oh my God."

I wanted to disappear.

Immediately.

Forever.

Elvan slowly stood up.

And suddenly—

nobody was laughing anymore.

A drop of water slid slowly down Elvan's cheek.

The classroom fell silent.

My eyes widened.

"Oh my God, Elvan, I'm sorry."

I immediately reached for a tissue.

But Elvan didn't take it.

He stood up instead.

His chair scraped against the floor.

The sound was sharp enough to make everyone look.

"Can you ever think before acting?"

The words hit harder than they should have.

I blinked.

"What?"

"You heard me."

My embarrassment instantly turned into annoyance.

"It was an accident."

"Everything is an accident with you."

The classroom went quiet.

Even Chloe stopped laughing.

I stared at him.

For a second, I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

"I literally said sorry."

"That doesn't magically fix things."

Before I could answer, a voice came from behind me.

"Speak nicely."

The room became even quieter.

I turned around.

Gawin had stood up.

Elvan looked at him.

Slowly.

Coldly.

"What?"

"I said speak nicely."

Gawin's voice remained calm.

Which somehow made it more dangerous.

"It was water, not a crime."

Elvan laughed once.

Without humor.

"Nobody asked for your opinion."

"Good thing I wasn't asking for permission."

My stomach dropped.

Beside me, Chloe looked like she wanted to disappear.

The tension was growing too fast.

Elvan took a step forward.

"So now you're defending her?"

Gawin shrugged.

"Someone should."

The sentence landed heavily.

I felt every eye in the classroom move between them.

Elvan's jaw tightened.

"And why exactly do you care so much?"

For the first time, Gawin's smile disappeared.

"Why do you care so much?"

Silence.

Complete silence.

Neither looked away.

Neither backed down.

I looked between them.

Completely confused.

What did this have to do with water anymore?

Elvan crossed his arms.

"You've known her for what? A few weeks?"

Gawin smirked.

"And?"

"And you're acting like you know everything."

"I know enough."

The atmosphere changed.

The words weren't aggressive.

But they felt personal.

Very personal.

Elvan looked directly at him.

"No. You don't."

For a second, something flashed in Gawin's eyes.

Interest.

Challenge.

Maybe both.

Then he spoke.

"At least I don't make her feel bad for an accident."

The moment the words left his mouth, I knew he had crossed a line.

Elvan's expression hardened instantly.

The air felt heavy.

Dangerously heavy.

The conversation had started with me.

Now somehow, I wasn't even part of it anymore.

It was just them.

Standing there.

Arguing over things neither of them was saying out loud.

Then the classroom door opened.

The professor walked in.

Everyone immediately sat down.

The tension didn't disappear.

It simply had nowhere to go.

As Elvan sat down, he looked toward Gawin.

"After class."

Not a question.

A challenge.

Gawin leaned back in his chair.

A slow smile returning.

"Sure."

Then class began.

And for the next hour, I couldn't focus on a single word.

Because somehow—

I had become the topic neither of them was willing to mention.

After School

The final bell rang.

Before I could even pack my bag properly, I heard a chair scrape behind me.

Gawin stood.

At almost the same moment, Elvan closed his notebook.

The two exchanged a look.

One of those silent conversations people somehow understand without speaking.

Then Elvan said,

"Basketball court. Ten minutes."

Gawin smirked.

"Don't cry when you lose."

And walked away.

I blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Then looked at Chloe.

"What just happened?"

Chloe looked equally confused.

"I have absolutely no idea."

Ten minutes later, we were standing near the college basketball court.

And somehow things made even less sense.

Students had already started gathering around.

News traveled fast.

Apparently faster than common sense.

Elvan stood on one side of the court.

Gawin on the other.

A basketball between them.

That's it.

No fight.

No explanation.

Just basketball.

I looked at Chloe.

"Are they seriously playing basketball?"

Chloe nodded slowly.

"I think so."

"Why?"

"No idea."

"What does basketball have to do with anything?"

"I was hoping you knew."

"I don't."

Neither of us did.

The game started.

Immediately, both of them became far more competitive than necessary.

Gawin stole the ball.

Elvan stole it back.

Gawin scored.

Elvan scored.

Neither celebrated.

Neither smiled.

They just kept staring at each other.

Like the basketball was a legal excuse.

After another point, Chloe leaned toward me.

"Do boys always do this?"

"What?"

"This."

She pointed dramatically.

"Instead of talking."

I watched Elvan practically sprint across the court to block Gawin.

"I don't think this is normal."

"Maybe they're communicating."

"Through basketball?"

"Maybe."

I stared at her.

She stared back.

Then both of us burst out laughing.

Meanwhile—

On the court.

Elvan blocked Gawin's shot.

Hard.

Gawin caught the rebound.

"Oh, so that's how we're playing?"

Elvan shrugged.

"You started it."

Gawin laughed.

"You're still mad."

"You're still talking."

Neither sounded angry anymore.

Which somehow made everything even more confusing.

The game should have ended ten minutes ago.

Instead, it was still going.

Tied.

Neither willing to lose.

Neither willing to stop.

From the sidelines, it looked like a basketball match.

To Elvan and Gawin—

it wasn't.

Sweat soaked through their shirts.

Their sleeves were rolled up.

Breathing heavier now.

Yet neither slowed down.

Around the court, students had gathered.

Most of them had completely forgotten why the game started.

At this point they were just watching.

And commenting.

"How are they still playing?"

"I don't know."

"Do they always look this good?"

"Oh my God, look at their arms."

"Shut up."

"No, seriously."

A group of girls nearby were openly staring.

Another group had started recording.

Neither Elvan nor Gawin paid attention.

Their focus remained entirely on each other.

Gawin dribbled the ball once.

Twice.

Then smirked.

"You take things too personally."

Elvan blocked his path immediately.

"Some things are worth taking personally."

The ball bounced between them.

Neither looking away.

Gawin laughed softly.

"Interesting."

Elvan's expression didn't change.

"I know people like you."

That finally got Gawin's attention.

"Oh?"

"You see something you want."

The words were calm.

Almost casual.

Which somehow made them sharper.

"And then suddenly you're everywhere."

The ball hit the ground.

Once.

Twice.

Gawin's smile remained.

But it wasn't playful anymore.

"You seem pretty confident."

"I am."

Elvan stole the ball.

Fast.

Clean.

"Stay away from the people around me."

The sentence landed heavily.

For a moment, even Gawin stopped moving.

Then he laughed.

Actually laughed.

"People around you?"

Elvan shot him a look.

A warning.

Gawin shook his head.

"You know..."

He stole the ball back.

"What a strange thing to say."

Elvan's jaw tightened.

Gawin continued.

"Because if you cared enough..."

A pause.

He spun past him.

"...you'd probably be one of the people around them."

For the first time all game—

Elvan looked genuinely annoyed.

The ball hit the rim.

Missed.

Both immediately went after it.

Neither willing to give an inch.

Neither willing to admit the conversation had stopped being about basketball a long time ago.

From the sidelines, I (Nancy )frowned.

"What are they even talking about?"

Chloe squinted.

"I don't know."

"They sound like old men arguing."

"They sound ridiculous."

Nancy watched them for another second.

Then shook her head.

"Maybe they're just competitive."

Chloe stared at her.

"Nancy."

"What?"

"Nobody talks like that over basketball."

Nancy opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

Because honestly—

Chloe had a point.

Back on the court, Elvan caught the rebound.

The score was still tied.

The game should have felt exciting.

Instead, it felt like a challenge neither wanted to lose.

Or leave unfinished.

Elvan looked at Gawin.

Gawin looked right back.

Neither smiling now.

Neither backing down.

The scoreboard flashed.

Tie.

Again.

Yet somehow—

the game felt far from over.

I knew this was my fault.

The moment I reached the basketball court, I knew it.

Students were gathered around the court like some kind of championship match was happening.

Except it wasn't.

It was just Elvan and Gawin.

Still playing.

Still competing.

Still looking annoyingly serious.

The score was tied.

Neither of them seemed interested in ending it.

"What are they even doing?" I muttered.

Beside me, Chloe shrugged.

"No idea."

I watched them for a few seconds.

The way they moved around the court.

The way neither backed down.

The way they kept talking between plays.

Not loudly.

Not enough for me to hear.

But enough to know something was happening.

And somehow that made me feel worse.

Because this all started after the water incident.

After my stupid water incident.

I sighed.

"I'm stopping this."

Chloe grabbed my arm.

"Nancy, wait—"

Too late.

I was already walking toward the court.

"Nancy!"

Ignoring her, I stepped closer.

The game was still going.

The ball moved from Elvan to Gawin.

Then back again.

Fast.

Aggressive.

Like neither of them wanted to lose.

I opened my mouth.

"Guys—"

Suddenly someone shouted.

The ball changed direction.

And before I understood what was happening, it was flying straight toward me.

Everything froze.

The court.

The crowd.

My brain.

I couldn't move.

Couldn't react.

Then someone rushed forward.

A blur.

A hand.

The ball changed direction at the last second and flew away.

The crowd gasped.

My heart was pounding so hard I could hear it.

For a second, I couldn't think.

Then I remembered why I came.

My eyes immediately found Elvan.

I walked toward him.

Ignoring everything else.

Ignoring everyone else.

Because this needed to end.

"I'm sorry."

My voice sounded smaller than I expected.

The entire court had gone quiet.

Elvan looked at me.

I forced myself to continue.

"The water."

I swallowed.

"I didn't mean to throw it at you."

A pause.

Then another.

"I'm really sorry."

For once, Elvan didn't interrupt.

Didn't make a sarcastic comment.

Didn't look annoyed.

He just looked at me.

And somehow that made me even more nervous.

I suddenly felt stupid standing there.

Stupid for coming.

Stupid for making a scene.

Stupid for thinking I could fix whatever this was.

So before he could answer—

before anyone could say anything—

I turned around.

And left.

Honestly?

I practically ran.

Past the court.

Past the students.

Past Chloe calling my name.

I just wanted to go home.

Far away from whatever had happened today.

Far away from whatever was happening between those two.

As I reached the college gate, I finally slowed down.

My heart still racing.

My face burning.

I didn't look back.

Not once.

If I had—

I would've seen Gawin standing in the middle of the court, staring at his hand.

And I would've seen Elvan walk past him with the first smile I'd seen all day.

But I didn't.

Gawin's POV

The moment I saw Nancy walking onto the court, I knew this wouldn't end well.

She looked stressed.

The kind of stressed where she wasn't really paying attention to what was happening around her.

"Nancy..."

I muttered under my breath.

Of course she couldn't hear me.

She was already too far onto the court.

Then everything happened at once.

The ball slipped.

Someone shouted.

And suddenly the ball was heading straight toward her.

For a second, Nancy just stood there.

Frozen.

I didn't think.

Didn't hesitate.

I moved.

My hand hit the ball hard enough to change its direction.

Pain shot through my wrist immediately.

Sharp.

Annoying.

The kind that tells you you'll regret it later.

But at least the ball missed her.

That was enough.

I flexed my fingers once.

Bad idea.

The pain immediately returned.

Definitely not enough.

Then Nancy walked forward.

Straight toward Elvan.

I watched her go.

Not because I wanted to.

Because it was impossible not to.

"I'm sorry."

Her voice carried across the court.

"The water."

For a moment, I understood.

She thought this was all because of the water.

That was the problem.

Nancy always blamed herself first.

Even when she shouldn't.

I looked down at my hand again.

Already swelling slightly.

Great.

Exactly what I needed.

Around me, nobody noticed.

Nobody cared.

Which was fine.

I wasn't expecting anyone to.

Then Nancy turned around.

And ran.

Just like that.

No glance in my direction.

No "are you okay?"

Nothing.

She hadn't even seen it.

I stared at the college gate long after she disappeared.

The weird thing was—

the hand didn't bother me that much.

The part that bothered me was how relieved she looked after apologizing to him.

Like he was the only person she needed to explain herself to.

A slow clap interrupted my thoughts.

I didn't need to turn around.

I already knew who it was.

Elvan.

Of course.

"You told me to stay away from the people around me."

I looked at him.

He nodded toward the gate.

Toward where Nancy had disappeared.

Then he smirked.

"Looks like I'm still around my people."

For a second, I considered punching him.

Unfortunately, my injured hand made that a terrible plan.

So instead I laughed.

A short one.

Without humor.

"Enjoy your victory."

Elvan adjusted the strap of his bag.

"Oh, I am."

That smile again.

The one he'd been missing all day.

The one Nancy's apology had somehow brought back.

He started walking away.

Then paused.

"Enough for today."

A glance over his shoulder.

"We'll continue later."

I watched him leave.

Then looked down at my hand.

Swollen.

Red.

Hurting.

Funny.

The injury wasn't the thing that bothered me most.

Not even close.

Because pain in my hand would disappear in a few days.

The image of Nancy running past me without even looking—

that one might take longer.

(Nancy at entrance)

I don't remember how long I stood outside the gate.

A few minutes.

Maybe longer.

The evening air felt colder than it should have.

Students were still leaving campus.

Cars passing.

People talking.

Life moving normally.

Meanwhile, I felt completely stuck.

The basketball court.

The argument.

The apology.

Everything kept replaying in my head.

Maybe Chloe was right.

Maybe the fight wasn't really about the water.

But if it wasn't...

Then what was it about?

My phone vibrated.

The sound made me jump.

I frowned and looked down.

Unknown Number.

Again.

My stomach dropped.

Slowly, I opened the message.

"How do you always manage to hurt someone?"

The words blurred for a second.

My grip tightened around the phone.

No.

Not again.

Not today.

Especially not today.

A painful lump formed in my throat.

Because the worst part was—

I didn't know if they were wrong.

I thought about Chloe.

About Elvan.

About the strange tension between Elvan and Gawin.

About every friendship that somehow became complicated.

Every person I seemed to disappoint.

Every relationship that eventually broke apart.

The phone vibrated again.

Another message.

My heart immediately started racing.

"Keeping your distance would be better."

A few seconds later.

"Crying won't solve anything."

I froze.

Completely.

The world around me seemed to disappear.

My eyes moved over the sentence again.

And again.

And again.

Crying won't solve anything.

My breathing became uneven.

Slowly, I lifted my head.

Looking around.

The road.

The gate.

The students walking past.

The security guard.

A group of girls laughing nearby.

Normal.

Everything looked normal.

So why did it suddenly feel wrong?

How did they know?

My hands started trembling.

How did they know I was crying?

I hadn't called anyone.

I hadn't told anyone.

I had been alone.

Hadn't I?

A cold feeling crawled down my spine.

I turned around again.

Scanning every face.

Every shadow.

Every parked vehicle.

For the first time, the crowd didn't feel comforting.

It felt dangerous.

Like someone could be standing right there.

Watching.

Knowing.

Waiting.

My phone felt heavier in my hand.

Another vibration.

I nearly dropped it.

This time, I didn't want to look.

Didn't want to open it.

But I couldn't stop myself.

Slowly.

Carefully.

I unlocked the screen.

My heartbeat pounding in my ears.

And for the first time in a very long time—

I felt genuinely afraid.

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